Concrete mixer



April 2, 1946.` 4 G. G. GAliFeTrupFe` 2,397,851 n CONCRETE MIXER Filed June 14, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 v l! y Inventvor l l @lavazza/w 'eazye 5de/'2722er f l K By w I l Attorneys April 2, 1946. G G GAERTNER A 2,397,851

CONCRETE MIXER Filed June 14, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 w v N Inventor www 680,3@ @maw April 2, 1945 3. G. GAERTNERl `'2,397,851

CONCRETE MIXER Filed June 14, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I uve'nto r g v www5-Mm Patented Apr. 2, 1946 UNITED STATES. PATENT oFF! CONCRETE MIXER Glenton George Gaertner, La Grange, Tex.

Application June 14, 1944, Serial No. 540,301

2 Claims.

This invention relates to concrete mixers and it has particular reference to mixers which may form part of an aggregate structure. Its principal object consists in providing a concrete mixer which may be attached to a tractor without affecting in any way the construction or usefulness of the latter and which, when so attached, will form an integral part of the tractor, moving along with the same, and deriving its own motion which is necessary for the mixing voperation from the tractor.

It win be understood that the attachment of a concrete mixer to a tractor in such a. way that the two units after having been attachedto each oher, form a single combined unit Vpresents many special problems, as the stability of the tractor arrangement,V the transmission of motion, the accessibility of the concrete mixer, the vertical lifting and lowering motion of the mixer and the connection and disconnection of the concrete mixer with the tractor are involved, therlatter operations having to be performed in such a way that `no change or alteration of the tractor which would impair connections with imple-4 ments other than the mixer, is rendered necessary.

'I'he present invention, therefore, consists in a mixer drum which, when connected or vcoupled with a tractor, is supported by the tractor itself, nol special support forthe drum or its accessories being necessary, and which derives all the various motions it has to perform during operation. such as rotation, lifting and lowering movements, and the like from the driving or driven parts of the latter.

For this purpose, the mixer drum whose rotational movement 'is derived from a belt, chainor the like, acting on its circumference, is carried by a rotatabl'e shaft journaled within frame members, which are' adapted to be connected with the conventional tractor links.

With most tractors, one of the links ofthe tractor is capable of a movement which can directly or indirectly bev utilized to produce a lifting and lowering movement, while another link is capable of a limited rocking, swinging or other rotational movement around a pivot.

According to the invention the frame members are fixedly or pivotally connected with the links of the tractor in such a way that they utilize the movements imparted to said links and permit the transmission of the movements to the mixing drum. The latter, therefore, is able to derive its support and all its movements necessary for its operations from thetractor links whereby a construction of great simplicity and stability results which `makes out of the tractor and the mixer a single stable unit for the duration of their connection.

With the above objects in view the invention consists in a combination of parte and members REISSGD such asdescribed in the following specification, shown in the accompanying drawings and enumerated in the claims, and it is to be understood that the modification shown which merely illustrates an example is not intended to limit the scope of the invention but merely illustrates the way in which it is to be carried into effect.

The following detailed specification has ref-- erence to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the invention with the concrete mixer attached to the tractor.

Figure 2 is an elevational side'view of the concrete mixer when attached to the tractor, several parts of the tractor being shown as broken away in order to illustrate the connection between the tractor and the mixer.

Figure 3 is an elevational longitudinal cross section through the mixer dum.

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the mixer drum, and

Figure 5 is on an enlarged scale a cross section through the coupling between the frame of the mixer drum and one of the' links of the tractor, which serves to support the drum on the tractor.

In the drawings the concrete "mixer, is esignated in general by I; it is mounted on a tractor 2 of any conventional or approved design, a trac- The tractor has two connecting links Il, lz on l each side which are provided for the purpose of being connected with machines, implements or part of machines with which the tractor is to be associated.

The links II are connected with the tractor frame by means of pivots. of universal joints, or of ball and socket joints I3, according to the type of tractor used, the connection by means of a ball held within a. socket being shown in the drawings.

The second connecting link I2 consists of a plurality of pivoted levers I5, the lever I5 being connected with the shaft I6 which is rotated by the hydraulic or mechanical lifting Amechanism of the tractor. By means of the pivoted lever system I5, Il a pulling force is exerted when the shaft I8 is rocked which may be applied to any mechanism connected with ythe tractor. When the system is at rest it is firmly held and it may be considered as a rigid fixed system.

A third mechanism arranged on the tractor for l' SEP-'- 7 /f4g7 The concrete mixer apparatus according vto the invention consists of the mixer drum20, which .is preferably drivenby the belt I8 laid around its circumference. Preferably the arrangement is such that the belt I8 runs on one side while the lling opening 2| of the drum is arranged laterally on the other side. Through this opening the drum is charged with the materials to be mixed and these materials are then conveyed axially through the drum 2|) by means of the of the tractor.

3 means of the blades 22 mixes the aggregate mateing, into wheel barrows or on the spot to be 24. This shaft is supported by frame members f 29 which are themselves supported bythe con- A necting links of the tractor.

`Theframe members 29 preferablyy consist of channel irons so as to have the necessary rigidity and resistivity against deformation and they are of such dimensions that they may receive the projecting part of the connecting link I between the flanges' of the channel irons. yA clamp 30 e'ectsa rigid connection between the-parts 29 v and |I by means of the screws 3|. The ktractor may be provided with two side arms, to provide added lateral stability and to prevent the belt to run out of line. In this way part of the weight of the drum and its contents may be transmitted to the connecting link II. f

The said framemembers 29 are moreover connected with the link I2 of the tractor consisting of the lever system |4, I5. Preferably the end of the lever 4 is connected with a point of the frame intermediate with the end bf the frame joined to link I| and the shaft 24. .The connection is made by means of a bolt 32 passing through a hole in the frame 29. When the lever system is at rest it takes up a considerable part of .the weight of the drum and its contents and reduces the lever armon which the weightis carried.

`When the lever system I2, I5 is moved by the lifting systemy of the tractor, the frame 29 isA raised or lowered according to the direction in which `the shaft `I6 is moved and as the connecting link II and the frame 29 are rigidly connected the latter rotates around the ball and socket connection I3. The drum is thus raised or lowered, the first operation being performed tol facilitatefilling of the drum while the lastnamed operation is needed during the emptying of the drum.

`Finally an auxiliary frame carrying a roller 36 may be mounted on the frame 29 to adjust the tension of the driving belt I8 and to facilitate the mounting or dismounting of the mixing drum. This frame is preferably under the tension of a spring 31 which presses the roller .n

against the belt.

When the tractor with the attached mixer has been conveyed to the place where the concrete'is neededthe mixer is rst lifted by means of hydraulic or mechanical lifting apparatus' of the tractor which actuates the shafti and the lifting lever system I4, I5. The lid 2| is unscrewed` engine.

lowered to the working position and the pulley I1 is connected with the power shaft (not shown) The drum now rotates and by rials of the charge and the water which is introduced in the well known manner, advancing l the charge axially through the drum by means of the blades. When mixing has been completed, and the opening of the drum has been turned downwardly, the drum is lowered anddischargcovered by concrete may take place.

As seen from the foregoing description the drum is supported by the tractor and is `driven by power furnished by the tractor; it is neither `in need of a special supporting means such as a trailer or the like nor does it require a separate The complete mixing apparatus, when coupled with the tractor is, therefore, a completely mobile unit. It ,can be moved to all places to which the tractor itself canfbe moved.

It is to be understood that the invention mainly resides in the means, and combination of means and apparatus by means of whichithe, concrete mixer may be joined to a tractor in such a way that a'stable unit results which may be moved `and operated by the tractor and that many changes may be introduced without departing from the essence of the invention.A

What I- claim is:

1. In Ian arrangement of the type specified for l mixing concrete a conventional tractor ,provided with the conventional connecting members, -one of said conventional members being pivoted to the tractor and capable of rocking Varound said pivot, another of said conventional members being capable of being lifted and lowered and still v `another member being capable of transmitting a rotational movement, a concrete mixer comprisving a mixer drum, means forimparting a rotational movement to said drum, means for supporting said drum including a frame, means for connecting said frame rigidly butv detachably with the aforesaid tractor member, pivotally connected with the tractor, means to connect said frame with the aforesaid liftable member of the tractor, and means for operatively connecting the members of the tractor transmitting rotational move-r ment with the aforesaid means associated with the drum for rotating the latter.

2. In a concrete mixing arrangement of ther type described, detachably associated with a conventional tractor and when attached forming a unit with the latter, the said conventional tractor being provided with'fc'onnectingv members one of which is pivotally connected with the tractor, another of said members being arranged for being lifted and lowered, a power drive for operating said member, a further power driven Vmember being adapted to transmit a rotational movement, a mixing drum, means for rotating said mixing drum, operatively connected with the last mentioned connecting member of the tractor for ,transmitting rotational movement, means for lsupporting said drum comprising a rotatablel shaft, a frame carrying s'aid shaft, a rigid detachable connecting means for coupling said frame with the-pivoted connecting member of the A tractor and further means for detachably con-y necting said frame with the liftable connecting member, the latter supporting, lifting and lowering the frame together with the drum for the operation of-the latter. l

GLENTOYN GEORGE GAERTNER. 

